Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-09-20
THE REDCAP.

or late there has come into rotiCe
varitty 0f fowl. which hitherto has beel
little kuown out OF one or Two districts o
Englant. bat which promises 20 bscoml
very popular. iis excellent laylng proper
tics b,spcaklrg is welcome. This fow
II the "RedcAp.- 80 called nom The lafg'
comb surmountipg the head. which being
Almost rose IN shspe, has very much hs
appeArarcc of q cap. There are two dis
tricis In walch The Retcap Is chiefly found
namely. Dsrbyshlrc and the south riding
\ % Yorkshire. and 10 l. 20 these districts
NC must look Tor The beat specimens. Th'
YORKSHIRE and The Derbyshlre Redcaps ar'
not exactly alike, ard ihe latter arc usually
regarded a. The better 90 the two. IL ],
pretty generally admitted that the ReicAT
j. close relative Of thc Golden SpAnglet
llAmburgh. whose plumagc IL most nearly
resembles both In color ant markings. II
fact, u In very probable that the Redcap Il
ihe prOgcnltOr Of The present. Colder
Spsngicd usmourgh. and that While ths
latter has been greatly improved In ths
Quality 90 is markings and the fineuess o
lts cont, The former has betn bred anc
mAlntAlned In lts original ruggctness art
1 of appearance and comb. for some time
IL seemed A. n The breed was entirely 'ost
bui specimens w,rc found In Dsroyshirr
and nov there isa considerable number ol
breeders who arc bfinging IL forward, ARD
/ with success.
Writing f0uftscn years ago The late
Edward uewCii s,ii, In the Book OF foul'
Try
''Oi The Rcicsps can without hsslta.
/ tlou speak most fKvofshly. both a. regards
The production of eggs and also tatir value
"a table fowl | never kept them my
ssif. bui have been most Intimate with
several parties who esteemed them most
/ hlghly, loug before tie tlme that poultry
| exhibitions were Instituted in the midland
counties. To 4 poultry amateur, whose
| eye has bcen previously tuiorsd 10 The
most important traits ofcharactsr In Ham
barghs generally. The Reicap ~ frst sight
presents nothing less than a mass OF gen
/ cral disqlAlidcaiious, - such parties very
/ ar 1sily form their opinions by compari-
son with the code of rules ty whica The
valuc of other varieties OF Hambarghs Are
estimated Although The very profase
rosc comb. lounglug In AVsry uglJ man
usf, ne partially pcnduious feather, IN lca
% spangle. and thc waut of spiighiy
motion. - Characteristic 81 all thc ham-
tufghs. Az fAT from ornsmCniali adiei 10
Which The ground color l. anything tri a.
souul a. Coald De dsslfsd ~ the party
whose search Il exclusively for beauty oi
exterior. The compensation Tor these
short c0mings l. pfoiese; fof they are
really weighiy ans thick.b0tied fowl
(cock- reaching seven poands and halil'
~ good fiay0r on The dish, ard N The sggs
are weighed. ~ well a. counted, believe
them % be he most abuudlnt egg pro
ducers % az our domestic poaltfy. IN
reference % their sggs l Will mention
fact, - which ny attention was urst
directed ~ Orc " the oiiesi snG most
practical Birmingham Coufsouorers. III
aflsr being broken The sane weight OF egg
Afc used if0m Eetcaps ard spanish fowls,
the couslstsucy Ia Cusiarts AID 30 iofih
Odtsluci from The nfst nafncd breed proves
uesfiy oue-thiri greater Than from those
ofths spanish"
Mr. ucwltIs remarks arc fully borne oct
by the ,xptrisrce OF The pfeseni DAY.
Those Nho are fsnciers pare Aud simple.
csing Cor external appearances alone OF
co ire prefer The liamourg. A. TIE krdesp
i very much TIE coAfssr Hat where
economic considerations enter tuio The
matter. then The Retcap essly bears away
TIE palm. liAmhurss may De A. pfolue
layers. bat their eggs arc small, and tnAt
j. a fatal objection for marketing purposes
The eggs LAID by tie Retcsp usually sVer-
see two ounces each, and = hen has oesn
known u Jay upwards % 100 days, Only
mlsslng Ous day In all that period. They
arc capital winter Layers, II vel ATTENDED
20 ard properly housed, and The chickens
are hArty and easily reared. Prom TIE
fact thai they have been 80 much brcd IN
the ally districts OF Dcroyshlre and York
shlre. they Arc used 10 All The variable con.
dltlous q be f01ni there, and consequent
Nv aiap. themselves wonderfully 70 Amosi
every climate. This l. a great point IN
thelr favor. f0rsome breets 90 well In one
place. bat are most disappointing when
thsy are removed 10 other conditlons.
The chickens are pfecocious, aud The pull
lets so0u begin % lay. Altogether they
ars a variety Of fowl which cannot be sur
passed FOR economic qualities, though IN
this tespect I cannot ssy that they sre bet
ter than the Minorca-
One OF The principal Esgllsh breeders
wrote some time ago description of ne
Rsdcap from which The following i sum
married
ID i usually regarded - a klni of
usmburuh. but Hamburghs site by side
with Re,icaps look like BAntams. There
az AZ ,re.ert two kinds % Retcsps-the
Dsrtyshirv AID The Yorkshire. The York
.hir. varieties are much coarser in the
comb. than the Derbyshirc. They usually
f,u over Ia one side and blind one eye, and
IRIS uscessltatss The birds being dubbed,
: very unnatural and horribly cruel proc
sss. which completely spo.ls thsir sp-
L. sanHllNllH The
e,se with uecock. The Derhyshire yarie'
~ have bssa bred viii hrm even COMBS
sitting firmly on the bead snd tals con
stiiuts- their chief beauty. The mAIking
OF the hens II very much Ike TIE golden
sn,prl.d Hamburgh, the back and breast
b.lrr OF beautiful bright chocolate
gfoard color, each feather being Tipped
with : cre.cented or half moon spansie or
A. bluish black co.Or. The neck h1ckle
.houid he dark.rtd or golden rcd siripei
uith blsck. TIE tail feathers are black.
The cock ls = fre looking bird, rather
heavier In carriage than the llambutgh.
TIE neck hackle l. also dark or golden
rel striped with blsek. The wing shoul'
AR l. biuish black. and the fiight feathers
an. OF chocolate color barred On TIE upper
lie with black. TIE back Is broad ADD
msrksd With blsck ard red. As already
stated Tie tail l. black. 10 i We'll furnished
With slekles. and the breast Is black, the
fsa,hsrs showing chocolate color under.
p..ih. Tho combs should be nFm and
even. quite full ofnne spikes and well spik.
ed behiut. IT. shape should be oval, and
is slEe six or seven Inches long, ~ Tour
OF fse inches broad. The ear'looes and
face are ret.
Ia breeding Redeaps IL Is most desirable
n keep In mlud whk, sre the distinctive
qualities Of ihs breed, Tor II there i ary
attempt 10 reduce the size OF The eomo ana
10 bring Il more nearly 10 the liamourgn
typs both a. 20 color aud msrkings, thc
Redcsp VII 90 once lose iis Identity ahl
slnply merge itself into The golden spangl-
ed IIGmburgh. This would be most an
dssirAble srd speedily result Ia The loss oi
Qualities which are 90 much ne~oeu'
There Il Al Increasing number OF ci.s.ss
A. cur Eoglish shows Tor Redc3ps, ADJ We
greatest care will have % be taken by
breeders In order 10 prevent deter orA,ioh,
We have a. present the mos; valuable IoNi
In the Rsdcsp-Oue whose qualities are OF
= kird that are greatly needed, and AN
vsry anxious that these shall not be los'
In searching aftsT external eharseteristes.
These latter I regard a. most Important ln
an our attempts 90 maintain and Improve
the various races OF our domestic fowls,
but AZ the same tine In some oreeus tnc
81 L.. NnIN